…says Nandlall must purge his contempt

PRIME Minister and Leader of Government Business in the National Assembly, Moses Nagamootoo, has strongly debunked opposition’s claims of a “10pm curfew” on parliamentary sittings.

Opposition MP, Anil Nandlall, had told a news conference at the last sitting of the House that the constant closing of sessions at 22:00hrs can be described as continued stifling of debates in the National Assembly. Nandlall said that this practice seems to have become a permanent feature of the Assembly. He said that it merges into a complete authoritarian takeover in Guyana, where at every level there are attempts to deny people their basic freedoms. He argued too that the question must be asked as to “why is it that a parliament, whose function it is to allow in a democracy, robust and elaborate debate, is being denied to the opposition in the Guyanese parliament repeatedly?”

However, in a statement Prime Minister Nagamootoo said he has noted statements made by Nandlall that “the constant closing of sessions at 22:00 hrs (10 pm) can be described as continued stifling of debates in the National Assembly”. “Mr. Nandlall displays woeful ignorance of the Standing Orders of the National Assembly, and he is misinforming and misleading the public,” the PM stated.

He explained that the Standing Order 10 provides for mandatory time during which Sittings of the National Assembly are held. It says: “Every Sitting SHALL begin at 2:00 pm and SHALL end at 10:00 pm.” These hours could be altered only by resolution of the Assembly.”

As regards the Sitting on May 8th last, Prime Minister Nagamootoo said he personally initiated consultation with the Opposition for debate on its Motion on the Commissioner of Inquiry into Land Titling and Ownership to start at 9:00 p.m., “Since there were 15 speakers listed, it was not possible to finish the debate at that sitting. I consulted with the Clerk of the National Assembly and with former Speaker, Honourable Raphael Trotman, whether there is precedent for debate on a motion to be resumed at a subsequent sitting. After assuming that this was feasible, I conveyed to Honourable Gail Teixeira, Opposition Chief Whip that the debate could resume on June 16. She agreed to my proposal,” Mr Nagamootoo explained.

He said he then conveyed this understanding to the Speaker and informed him that, upon resumption of the sitting, he would move a motion to this effect. “Mr. Nandlall’s allegations are therefore totally false, without merit and are aimed at discrediting the Honourable Speaker, and debasing the integrity of our parliamentary democracy. Mr. Nandlall should purge his contempt for insinuating that the Speaker was “guillotining” debates.”

“I reiterate that Guyana enjoys a free and open parliamentary democracy, and the Legislature under the Coalition Government, has been granted financial autonomy and independence in keeping with a Constitutional command.